Zoe and Max: Into The Blue
by spidermanandmaryjane
Summary: A Zoe and Max fanfiction, set in 2015, after Zoe's return to the ED.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: "You see, your mouth says no..."

Zoe's heels clicked along the floor of the ED as she made her way to the office she shared with the new her, the new clinical lead, Connie Beauchamp. With her phone in one hand and takeaway cup of strong black coffee in the other, she was too preoccupied to notice the young porter gazing at her from the reception desk. "She's way outta your league mate" joked Noel, playfully shoving him at the same time, which broke his gaze and startled him. Quickly, he snapped out of it and picked up the pile of patient files sitting on the desk. "Dr Hanna? Nah, she's not really my type..." He mused, walking off in the direction of cubicles, flashing Noel a cheeky smile. "In way over his head that one" Noel commented, laughing to himself.

"For you" Max smiled, throwing the patient files down on Zoe's desk. Zoe groaned and added them to the already massive pile of admin she was attempting to get through, yet seemed to be growing faster than she could shrink it. "Just think of the whole 15 minutes you'll get to spend with me having a fag in 2 hours, that should get you through it" joked Max, to which Zoe gave her first genuine smile of the day and rolled her eyes. "I look forward to it, Mr Walker" she replied, not taking her eyes off the paperwork she was focussing on. Max sensed he wasn't going to get much more conversation out of her without annoying her, and left as Connie arrived through the door. "Admin day!" trilled Connie and dumped the large mountain of paperwork she'd been carrying on her desk, took a sip of her green tea and sat down. "At least someone gets excited about it." Zoe commented.

The two women had been working in silence for over an hour and a half when they heard a commotion out in the ward. Both of them leapt to their feet and opened the door to see what was going on. Much to Zoe's horror, she saw Max lying on the ground beneath an angry patient. His lip was bleeding and eye was already starting to swell. "What's going on here?!" Connie yelled over the commotion, as Zoe rushed to aid Max. "I was just trying to take him to x-ray" stated Max angrily "when he freaked and hit me. I was just doing my job, or trying to." Zoe took Max's hand and made sure he got up alright. "I'll check Max over while you deal with this" she said to Connie, taking Max to cubicles. "You could check me over any day, injury or no injury" he flirted with her, once he knew they were out of earshot of the rest of the staff. "If you didn't already have a black eye, I'd be giving you one right now" Zoe retorted quickly, giggling. She pressed the pads of her thumbs up and down his cheekbones and round his head. Apart from his eye, which would soon be black, his cut lip and a small cut above his eyebrow, he didn't appear to have any significant internal injuries. "I'll just clean up your lip and dress the cut on your head, and you'll be ready for that cigarette. Now hold this ice on your eye to reduce the swelling" she smiled, winking at him. "If I didn't know you any better" Max said "I'd say you were flirting with me. Not very professional is it?" He laughed. "If we're going to open the professionalism door..." Zoe started, but was interrupted by Max's exclamation of "Okay, I'll let it slide this once then, since you're kind of my boss". "Hmmm, thought you might say that" flirted Zoe. She finished cleaning him up and opened the curtains. Her exclamation of "There we are, almost as good as new" was met with a goofy smile from Max and an encore of "almost!?". "See you outside in five" she whispered as they parted ways and walked off in seperate directions.

As Max sauntered out of the ED his eyes were immediately drawn to Zoe on the other side of the loading bay, taking the first drag of her cigarette. He stopped to admire her, her volumptuous figure, her thick, shiny hair, her beautiful... "Max, earth to Max, Max you're IN THE WAY!" grumbled Big Mac, trying to push a trolley full of god-knows-what into the ED. "Oh sorry Big Mac" Max said absent mindedly, making his way towards Zoe. "Young ones today, eh?" Big Mac muttered to himself, trying to get the trolley moving again. Zoe smiled as she saw Max approaching and held out her cigarette towards him. "Thought you were gonna let me down" she quipped, her smile turning into a wry one. "I would never let you down Doctor Hanna" he remarked, as he took her cigarette and smoked it a couple of times. "Let's go for a walk, round this corner?" He said with a twinkle in his eye. Zoe started moving towards him and asked "so why are you so interested in exercise today? Fights with the punters, walks on your break, it's like you're trying to get in shape. Hmmmm, are you trying to impress someone, Max Walker?" They were now out of sight round the corner, and Max spun Zoe round and pushed her gently against the wall. "Woah, Max, I don't think..." She started but she was silenced by a soft kiss on the lips. She pushed him away. "Max, we can't do this, not again, one of the reasons I left to go to Africa was..." she said solemly but was interupted. "Well, stop me then" grinned Max and kissed her again, for longer this time, knowing full well that she wouldn't and maybe even couldn't. And he was right on both of those guesses.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Firstly, Happy New Year! Hopefully 2015 will be the year of Zax, right? :D I'm glad you guys are liking it so far! I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I try to proof-read everything though sometimes I don't get the time. I'll try to update as often as I can, I would have updated sooner but I've had a lot of family stuff/parties etc. to go to due to the time of year. I'm going back to school next week (cry) and I have my mocks in a couple of weeks, so apologies if I can't update a lot. I'm trying to write as much as possible just now so I can keep updating regularly during the exam period. I've got a few ideas, some of it is just fluff (like this chapter), but I know I enoy reading those sort of Zax fanfics so I hope you can put up with it! Thanks! (Also, sorry about the ending, I just had a bit of writers block and didn't really know where else I wanted to go with it.)

S&amp;MJ x

Chapter 2: "Lose the uniform, meet me in 5"

It had been just under 2 weeks since the kiss outside the ED, yet Zoe and Max had barely seen each other, apart from the odd passing as one of them was leaving work and the other was arriving, and one night spent together at Zoe's. Most of the ED staff knew about them now, as Robyn had managed to get it out of Max, and being herself, had blabbed to the rest of the staff. This was convienient for both Zoe and Max, as no awkward announcements had to be made, but since Connie had found out, she'd been doing her utmost to make sure they weren't working the same shift. After 13 days, they were finally working the same back shift. Zoe detested the back shift. She dragged herself in to work feeling low; it was a Friday night which meant it'd be busy with teenage lightweights and rowdy party-goers - the kind of unnecessary, time-wasting patients she hated. When she was met with the familiar cheeky smile that could only belong to Max, her stomach fluttered and her mood instantly lifted. She smiled as they approached each other. "Dr Hanna! Long time no see!" Max said quietly as they made their way to the staff room. She noticed a few of the nurses looking as they walked past, but surprisingly she found it didn't phase her. "So we're being watched then" Zoe mused, as she put her stuff into her locker and got out her lanyard and stethoscope. "Mhmmm, every move" Max replied, making them both a coffee. "Connie's been trying to keep me working all the time since she found out about us - she even tried to deny me a break last week until I reminded her it was actually written into my contract". Max complained. "We're just going to have to lie low and obey her commands until she gets over it" Zoe sighed, picking up her coffee and touching his arm as a sign of thanks. Max picked up his and headed for the door. "Yeah, I mean, she's probably just jealous because she isn't getting any" grinned Max as he left the staff room. "Max!" scolded Zoe, laughing at what he'd said "Not appropriate!". She couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips as he walked away. "Well, someone looks happy today" Tess commented as she came into the staff room to get ready for the shift. "Is this to do with the fact a certain Mr Walker is working with us today as well?" Zoe smiled coyly into her coffee and replied with "It may be Tess!" "Well I haven't seen you this smitten since you were with Nic..." she trailed off, realising what she'd said, waiting for Zoe's reaction. "You can say his name Tess, its okay" Zoe said warmly. "That's all in the past now anyway, now I have Max." Tess smiled at her friend. "Well I'm glad. It's nice to see you so happy again."

Like Zoe had predicted, the shift was a busy one. There was one minor RTC, a suspected case of meningitis and one heart attack patient among many of the young drunk patients she'd expected. She was waiting on the tests to come back from the lab to confirm the meningitis when she felt Max's hands around her waist. "The coast is clear, I take it" she grinned, checking for Connie in the near vicinity. "Yep, I'm surprised she hasn't found you yet. She's having to go home, Grace has been expelled from her new boarding school, she's having to be picked up from the train station." Max informed her. "Really!? Poor Grace. All she wants is a bit of attention from Connie, anyone can see that. Actually Max, while you're here, can you take this young lady through to cubicles please? She's going to sleep it off." Zoe asked, giving Max a knowing look, raising her eyebrows. Connie burst through the doors into resus, and made her way over to Zoe. "Always an entrance" muttered Zoe, rolling her eyes. Max had to stifle a laugh as he pushed the drunk teenager towards the doors Connie had just entered through. She glared at Max with suspicion as he passed by her and then turned to Zoe. "I hope things are remaining professional in here" she remarked icily. "Connie, Max and I were together before you even arrived and we've managed to stay professional for that long, I think we can manage 5 minutes in the same room together" Zoe retorted hotly. "Anyway, was there a reason for this visit or were you just coming to make sure I was behaving myself?" She added snidely. Tensions between the two women were never running low, and Connie's attempt to keep Zoe and Max apart heightened Zoe's resentment towards her even more. "Yes there was actually" Connie replied, almost, but not quite, through gritted teeth. "I'm having to leave. Family emergency, I won't bore you with the details, can you take over as lead for the rest of the shift? That'll be all." She said, and headed for the door. "Yes ma'am" Zoe mimicked, pulling a face.

The rest of the shift went by smoothly and before Zoe knew it, it was time for her to clock out. Max caught up with Zoe in the corridor. "Hey Zo" Max breathed, catching a door for her, then allowing her to walk through first. "Nice, ummm, shoes again" he coughed sarcastically, knowing full well she would know he was staring at her bum. "Shut up Max!" she moaned through her laughter, giving him a coy smile. "What are you doing after this shift?" Max asked, picking up some paperwork for Zoe. "Well, I was planning on going home, it is 1am and I'm working back shift again tomorrow. What about you?" she replied, giving him a cheeky smile. "Going home alone? We'll have to fix that, won't we Dr Hanna?" he flirted. She rolled her eyes at him before sliding the paperwork from his arms. She leant in towards him. "Lose the uniform, meet me in 5" she said seductively, and walked away, knowing full well his eyes were following her, and what part they were focusing on. 5 minutes later, Max was standing in the doorway of Zoe's office. "Ready to go?" He asked, wathcing her every move, as if mesmerised by her. "Yup" Zoe replied, putting her jacket on and picking up her bag. They made their way to Zoe's car and she drove them home to her flat. "Coffee?" Zoe asked, throwing her keys down on the kitchen unit. She turned to face Max, leaning against the unit. He put his hands on her waist and replied "I was thinking we could skip that part" and kissed her passionately for a few moments. She took his hand and led him through to the livingroom...

Zoe loved lying in Max's arms at night, feeling his chest move up and down. It was the only place she felt safe, she felt protected and more importantly she felt loved. Although she hadn't actually told him yet, she knew she'd fallen for him, big time, which was something she didn't normally do. She felt like nothing could come between them, not Connie, or her stupid rotas, nothing. And she didn't doubt for a second that the feeling wasnt mutual. She had never known love like this, but she was glad she had been aquainted to it. 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N ~ I'm so sorry I've taken so long to update! I've really been trying to focus on my exams that start in just over a week so I've not had a lot of time to write. I'll update as much as I can, please bear with me :) Thank you for all the reviews and subscriptions, it really means a lot! There's not much Zax in this chapter, sorry, but I promise there will be in Chapter 4 :D

***Also, slight S/H trigger warning for this chapter. I'm not going to go into detail, it's just going to be a minor storyline, but just wanted to say, I don't want anyone to get upset by it.***

S&amp;MJ x

Chapter 3: "I know how Mary Jane Watson feels when Spiderman goes out"

Lying in Max's arms, Zoe groaned as her 6am alarm rang out from across the room. "God Zo, you really had to pick the most annoying sound for that didn't you?" Max muttered over the screeching that was gradually getting louder and stretching out a little, yet making sure he still had a firm hold on Zoe. "It does it's job and gets me up to do mine" Zoe laughed back, yawning a little. "I'm going for a shower, don't miss me too much" she said seductively, getting out of bed then leaning over to place a kiss on Max's lips. "I'll try" he grinned back, watching her every move as she left the room.

As usual, Zoe and Max just made it into the ED on time. "Why are you two ALWAYS last in?" Robyn grinned as they both rushed past reception. "Do you really want to know the answer to that Robyn?" Max retorted back crudely, with a cheeky grin. "EWWW!" Robyn yelled, and Zoe rolled her eyes and exclaimed "Max!". "I know, not appropriate..." He finished, mimicking his girlfriend. This was a conversation that happened frequently between the two in the ED. They both parted ways as Zoe bumped into Connie. "Dr Hanna" she said in her icy tone. "Almost late again are we?". The clinical lead raised her eyebrows and gave Zoe a critical look. "Yes Connie, ALMOST late. I'm technically still here in time." She retorted frustratedly, walking off in the direction of her office. She dumped her stuff, grabbed her name badge and stethoscope and made her way to the nurses' station to collect her first patient file. "What have we got today?" She asked Charlie, peering over his shoulder at the mountain of files. "A pregnant teenager in 4 with moderate bleeding, a young boy with a suspected fractured arm in 7, suspected self harm in 5 and an older man with abdo. pains in 2. Take your pick" He grinned, offering her the files. "I'll take the teenager and the self harm, and Cal can you take the suspected fracture and abdo. pains for me please?" Zoe replied, smiling at the younger doctor. "I'm on it" Cal replied, taking the files from Charlie's hand. Opening the curtains of cubical 4, she saw a frightened young girl with a very swollen stomach staring at her nervously. "Amelia Murray?" She asked, and the girl nodded nervously. "Hi, I'm Dr Hanna and I'll be treating you today. I just need to know some background knowledge about when the bleeding started, how the rest of your pregnancy has been and your general health. You're 35 weeks, right?" She asked, smiling. "Yeah, 35 weeks and 3 days. Umm, it started during the night when I was sleeping but I never realised until I woke up, and the rest of my pregnancy has been fine, no complications or nothing. And as far as I know my health has been fine, I only know my records back to when I was 8 because I've been in care since then and before that my real mum never took me to no proper doctors or nothing, and we moved around a lot so they have none of my records." The girl said flippantly, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal. The last thing Zoe needed right now was a patient trying to act hard, but she gritted her teeth and smiled on. "And you're 15, right?" Zoe asked. "Yeah, why, what's it to you?" Amelia retorted hotly. "I need to know in case we have to prescribe you something, as the dosage of medicine is higher for adults than children, that's all. Any abdominal pains or cramps?" She asked, losing her patience a little. The nervous demeaner of the girl had melted away suddenly and had turned to a rude one. "Yeah, actually, nothing I can't handle but." Amelia replied. "Okay, well one of the nurses here will take your obs., and we've called for a midwife to come down and examine you." She said, leaving her in Robyn's hands and walking out of the cubicle. "Whatever!" The girl shouted after her, and Zoe rolled her eyes. She was just about to start on the suspected self harm when the red phone started to ring, and no-one was at the station to answer it, so she rushed over. "Holby ED, Dr Hanna speaking" she said as she picked up the phone. "Hi Zo, we've got an RTC on the motorway just outside of Holby, with a possible entrapment. Can you send a doctor and two nurses out to us?" Dixie said slowly and clearly through the phone. "Yeah sure, I'll just tell Connie and we'll be there ASAP" she replied, putting down the phone. She spotted Connie walking towards her. "Connie! There's been an RTC and they need a doctor and two nurses. I'll go, can you find two nurses and tell them to get ready, we need to leave ASAP." She reitterated to her boss. "Sure, on you go" she replied and motioned to the door.

"What have we got!?" Zoe shouted over to Dixie, as her, Lofty and Rita made their way over to the crash site. "The fire brigade have managed to get a 9-month old female, and 3 year old male and a 29 year old woman out of the people carrier but there's still a 9 year old female in there. In the HGV, there's a 54 year old male still trapped, he's in a reallyu bad way, I don't think they're going to be able to get him out on time." she replied, shaking her head. "Where is he? If I can climb in to the cab, I'll be able to treat..." Zoe was cut off by Dixie's exclamtion of "Zo! You can't,do that, we could end up losing both of you! It's too risky Zo, the lorry is very unstable." She was right, it was overturned, but hanging off a low bank, which it could easily fall down. "What's life without a bit of risk, eh?" She smiled and ran towards the lorry. She had to save him.

After managing to convince everyone this was the best thing to do, Zoe started to climb in under ongoing guidance from the fire officers. As she got a better look at him, she could see he had clearly sustained head and neck injuries, as well as facial lacerations, but couldn't really see the rest of him properly. Dixie, who was standing on the side of the cab which was above Zoe, lowered in a neck brace and jumped down to get the rest of the equipment. As Zoe tried to put it on him, he suddenly came round and started thrashing about wildly. "No, stop" Zoe screamed, but it was too late, and the HGV rolled down the bank, leaving a now unconscious Zoe and an agitated driver trapped inside...  



	4. Chapter 4

A/N - I tried to write this one quickly so I didn't leave you on the cliffhanger (apologies for that, I just felt like the chapter was getting too long) so I'm sorry if this one is a bit short.

S&amp;MJ x

Chapter 4: "You coming Mary Jane?"

"Okay, we've got Zoe Hanna here, 40 year old female who was trapped in a upturned lorry after it rolled down a bank, possible head and chest injuries, several lacerations to the face and neck, airway clear, sats are 22, gsc of 14 and she's had 10 of morphine already" Dixie rhymed off to an anxious looking Ash. "Zoe!" yelled Max from across reception. He'd been waiting anxiously for her since everyone found out about the accident, and it had been a long wait as it had taken them 3 hours to get her out. Max attempted to enter resus. to see what was going on with his girlfriend, but he was restrained by Lofty. "Just wait, yeah mate? They're doing all they can. She's in the best hands." He said, putting an arm round Max and taking him to get a coffee.

6 hours later, Zoe was out of surgery and stable. She still hadn't come round yet, and Max was sleeping in the chair beside her bed. He hadn't let go of her hand all night. "Max" whispered Robyn, as she entered the room Zoe had been placed in so her hourly obs. could be done. "Max!" She said again, louder this time, touching his shoulder. "Huh, what... Zoe?!" Max mumbled, waking from his light sleep. "No, it's me Robyn. I'm leaving just now, thats me finished my shift. Do you want me to bring you some dinner/breakfast from the supermarket?" She asked with a sympathetic smile on her face. "Yeah, that would be great" Max mumbled lethargically. "I was going to go to the shop earlier but I didn't want to leave her in case..." He trailed off. "I know, I know. She'll be fine. It was only a small internal bleed and a few cuts and bruises. It could have been a lot worse. She'll wake up soon, I promise. I'll see you in 20." She said, and walked out, leaving Max alone, with only the beeping from machines to keep him company. He kissed her hand. "What am I gonna do with you spiderman, huh?" He smiled.

At 4am, 10 hours after the surgery, Zoe still hadn't woken up. "Shouldn't you be concerned? I mean most patients are awake by now, right? I mean, I've moved patients who've had surgery an hour after they're out and they've been awake and asking me about the weather! What's wrong with her?" asked a frantic Max, pacing the room. "Calm down Max, it's okay. We had to give Zoe quite a lot of anaesthetic to make sure she didn't wake up during the procedure and different people come round in their own time. She's fine Max, no change is good sometimes. It gives her body the best chance to heal properly. It's probably best this way." Rita assured him, smiling. "I've never thought of you as the panicky type before?" She half stated, half asked. "Yeah well I've never loved anyone like this before." He replied, sinking down into the chair again, watching his girlfriend's chest fall and rise. "I didn't think you guys had been together that long? Is it pretty serious?" She asked, checking Zoe's obs. and updating her notes. "Well, we were kind of a casual thing for a while, we kept it from everyone, and then she left to go to Africa obviously, and we ended, then she'd been back for two months when we decided to get back together again." He replied, flicking through his phone to check if anyone had rung. "Oh, so that's why you were so down all the time! You genuinely had a girlfriend!" She smiled, with realisation dawning in her eys. "Yeah" Max laughed. "And when no-one believed me, I kinda had to go along with it because I couldn't exactly tell everyone I'd been dating my former boss!" Rita laughed at her colleague and left the room."I'll be back in an hour" she smiled, and shut the door. "Max?" Zoe whispered groggily, stirring in the hospital bed. "Hey beautiful, it's okay I'm here, it's okay." He said, relief flushing over his face. "Max, I'm sorry, I should never have... wait, what's actually wrong with me?" Zoe asked, suddenly realising her current predicament. "It's okay, don't apologize Zo, you had a small internal bleed, so you've been in surgery, and a few cuts and bruises, but apart from that you're fine. No broken bones or anything." Max said, squeezing her hand. "Did the lorry driver get out?" she asked, slowly remembering what had happened before she ended up in hospital. "Yeah, but he had a massive heart attack in surgery, so he's in an unstable condition just now, but I heard from Ethan things are looking up." He said smiling. "But you concentrate on getting better first, okay?" He said, kissing the top of her head, and allowing her to fall asleep in his arms. 


	5. Chapter 5

So so sorry about the long wait, again its been down to exams and revision but they're over by the end of the week, so hopefully I'll be able to balance writing this and my english dissertation better than I've been managing it recently. Thank you for all the lovely reviews, they really mean a lot :) Again, I own nothing, only mistakes.

S&amp;MJ x

Chapter 5: "Zoe? You look amazing by the way."

"How's Zoe!?" Robyn asked Max, practically jumping on him as he surfaced from her room, coming down the stairs into the ED for his shift. "Yeah great!" He replied smiling. "If her obs are still okay by 2pm she'll be getting discharged today... which I was meaning to talk to you about" He spun round awkwardly to face her. "Zoes asked me to move in, do you mind?" He asked, studying Robyn's face in anticipation. "So you're just going to abandon me and Lofty for your new doctor girlfriend, that's it, we'll always be second place now..." She grinned, flouncing about the reception dramatically. "Of course I don't Max, I'm happy for you! As long as you come back and visit sometime yeah?" She said, picking up a pile of paperwork. "Of course" He grinned "I'll always have time for my favourite sister". They parted ways and got on with their work.

The shift was busy and passed quickly. Max barely had time to stop for a break, which was good, as he was tired and couldn't be bothered having the same conversation with everyone he met about how Zoe was doing. As he entered Zoe's room, he smiled to himself as he saw the grumpy look on her face. "How's my favourite invalid?" He asked her grinning, giving her a kiss and sitting down beside her bed. "Bored. So bored! I hate being a patient, the sooner I get back to work, the better..." She was interupted by Max, who took her hand and kissed it. "You know Connie isn't going to let you work again for at least a week, and I've arranged to take the week off too so I can move my stuff in to yours and look after you properly, okay?" He smiled, watching her smile back. "Okay Max, whatever you say" She said softly, sitting up and resting her forehead on his before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you Zo" He smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you too Max" She said, relaxing her body into his. After the doctor had given Zoe the all-clear, Max packed the rest of her belongings into her bag and helped her get dressed into sweats and a jumper. "Can we not go through the ED?" Zoe asked, looking tired. "I look disgusting and I don't think I can be bothered with all the questions, I just want to get home" She said, as Max put his arm around her and picked up her bag. "I thought you might say that" He smiled "Which is why I parked the car over the other side of the hospital". "I knew I picked you for a reason" She flirted, running a hand through her hair. "Oh can you get my shoes?" She asked, pointing to her Jimmy Choos as she waled towards the door. "Sure, and Zoe? You look amazing by the way." He smiled, to which she just rolled her eyes, but her look softened and she looked a little flattered.

Later in the evening, once Zoe was home and settled, Max left to bring over some of his stuff, and came back to find Zoe pouring wine down the sink. "You know, if you can't drink on those painkillers, you could just have waited, or even better given it to me" He grinned, wrapping his arms round her waist. "Max, listen, we need to talk. Can you bring my bag over?" She asked, making her way to the sofa, sitting down slowly. "What's up" He asked, a little concern in his expression. "Now don't panic, everything's fine, I found out before the accident and I had checks in the hospital and everything is okay, I was going to tell you after work on the day of the accident but I didn't want you to worry and.." She stopped, bringing a long rectangular box out of her bag, and handing it to him. "Open it" She said softly, studying his face. He opened it slowly, and out fell three pregnancy tests, all positive. His mouth widened into a grin. "You're..." He began. "Yeah, we're having a baby" she grinned, as he moved in to kiss her, slowly at first but more passionately until they broke off. "But I thought you couldn't..." He started, with surprise still in his voice. "Me too, but I missed a period, I was gaining weight, and remember I've been throwing up a lot lately? I didn't want to say anything because I wasn't 100% sure, and I did a couple of tests in the morning before I got called out, and I didn't even think twice when I climbed into the truck, it was after I realised how stupid I'd been, but the baby is okay, I'm about 10 weeks along" She breathed, resting her head on his shoulder. Max placed his hands on her stomach and whispered "I can't believe it, we're actually having a baby!" She placed her hands on top of his and replied with a kiss.

~3 weeks later~

Max held Zoe's hair back from her face as she threw up in the toilet bowl. He handed her a glass of water and helped her stand up as he flushed the toilet. "So what do you think, boy or girl?" He grinned, as she finished brushing her teeth. "Hmmmm, I think it's a boy. They always are more trouble." She teased, as he kissed her on the nose. "It's a good job you're carrying our baby, otherwise I'd totally get you for that one" He joked, kissing her head, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo. They both headed into the bedroom to get ready for work. With each passing week, it was getting increasingly harder for Zoe to find something to wear that would cover her ever-so-slight bump. She was used to wearing tight dresses and skirts, which made it harder to disguise, and her sudden change in wardrobe hadn't gone unnoticed by the slightly more observant staff members of the ED. "She's stopped going to the gym and I bet she's put on weight and doesn't want people to notice" Louise commented, as Max and Zoe walked into the ED hand-in-hand that morning. She had a new theory everyday as to why Zoe'e appearance had changed recently. "Who?" Noel asked half-heartedly, trying to file away some paperwork. "Zoe!" Louise replied "Keep up!" Rita had overheard when picking up patient files and said "Or maybe she just wanted to give you something to talk about every morning Louise", to which Louise gave one of her coldest looks. "Whatever Rita, just trying to inject a bit of fun into the day." "I say we take a bet." Noel suggested. "Fiver on she's pregnant" Honey chimed in. "I'm getting an aura." "Who, Zoe?" Big Mac asked, becoming interested in the conversation once a bet had been mentioned. "You might as well just put your money in the bin there Honey, she can't have kids." "Hmmm, maybe I'm just having an off day then" Honey replied and walked back across the reception to her coffee counter.

Zoe caught up with Max during their break in his 'office'. They had both decided to give up smoking because of the baby, so they resorted to spending time in the cupboard instead. "How is my favourite baby mama?" Max asked, as Zoe made her way through the door, locking it behind her. "Let's just say, 'hormonal'" She replied, and started kissing him passionately... 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, I thought I'd update again because I left it for so long the last time and I felt bad :S Thanks for the advice BethyBoo97, I'll do that from now on :) Taking heed of the reviewer who wanted me to do a chapter on Zoe's morning sickness, thank you for the idea! If anyone else wants to see any storylines within this fic, please review and tell me! I know Zoe falling pregnant is over-used in Zax fics but I just really like the idea of them being a family :) Also, I didn't mean to end on a cliff hanger but I felt the chapter was getting too long, it's not going to be dramatic or anything :) Thanks for reading, feel free to review and again I only own mistakes, not any of the characters.

S&amp;MJ x

Chapter 6: "I expect it to be pretty impressive..."

"I'm going to call in sick for you." Max announced to Zoe as he made his way into their en-suite bathroom, after hearing her vomiting for the 4th time that morning.  
"No, I'm fine, I just... ugh" she replied, placing her hand over her mouth as another wave of nausea washed over her. "Okay, maybe that's best" She practically whispered, closing her eyes and breathing slightly more heavily than usual. Max sat down on the floor next to her and wrapped his arms round her waist, pulling her torso towards him, so she could rest her head on his chest.  
"It'll get better, you know. This is the worst trimester for morning sickness" He informed her, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head.  
"Oh yeah?" She replied weakly. "Been pregnant a few times before eh?" She joked, a small smile appearing on her face. Max loved that about Zoe, no matter where she was or how she was feeling, she always managed to make him smile with her humour.  
"Yeah I'm quite the pro" He replied and they both giggled. "Nah, I read some of the pregnancy books yesterday, the ED was quite quiet so I had time to catch up on all the fatherly knowledge I'll need for now. Speaking of which, I'll go phone in just now. Will you be okay for 5 minutes?" He asked, waiting on the sarcastic comment he expected to be leaving his partner's lips in any second, but Zoe just nodded weakly. "Hmm, no sarcastic comment? You must really be feeling it!" He said, trying to make her smile again, which he succeeded in doing.  
"Shut. Up." Zoe replied, waving him away with the hand that wasn't clutching the toilet. As he walked away, he heard her being sick for the 5th time.

When Max re-appeared into their bedroom, he was carrying two steaming mugs of tea for them both, and a plate of toast was balanced on his arm for Zoe to eat when she'd stopped constantly throwing up. He placed the toast on her bedside table, so the smell didn't make her feel any worse and took the mugs of tea into the en-suite. "How are you feeling mummy?" He asked, grinning as he watched her cringe "Did you actually just say that?" She groaned, taking the mug from him and cupping it in her hands. "And a little better, I don't think its wise for me to move from here quite yet though." "Yeah, I don't really want to spend my morning getting vomit out of the carper again" Max smiled, referring to an incident the previous week in which Zoe had left the toilet a little prematurely. He sat down so that she was sitting between his legs, and placed his hand on her slightly swollen stomach, kissing her temple. "Thank you" Zoe whispered, leaning into Max, feeling comforted by the smell of his aftershave, as the nausea slowly melted away.  
"What for?" Max asked, as she entwined her fingers with his on her belly. "For being here, putting up with me, hormones, morning sickness and all" She answered, closing her eyes.  
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Zo, I love you." He said reassuringly, playing with her hair a little.  
"I love you too Max." She replied. "Now lets go watch some crap telly and enjoy a day without the ED, yeah?" She said, as Max got up and helped her up too. He ran a hand through her hair.  
"You're beautiful, you know" He said, kissing her nose.  
"You're not too bad yourself" She replied, picking up the plate of toast whilst taking his hand and leading him to the lounge.

Zoe and Max were cuddled together on the sofa, watching TV later that afternoon when Max's phone started to buzz, and a familiar ring tone filled the room. "Shit, it's Connie" Max exclaimed as their strict boss' Caller ID flashed up on his screen. "She doesn't know about the baby, she'll think we're just skiving!" He said, the slightly panicked look on his face mirrored by Zoe's.  
"Shit! We can't tell her over the phone, I wasn't planning on mentioning anything to her until the dust had settled on the situation with Grace. Shit!" Zoe replied, looking at Max with a worried expression.  
"I can't ignore her! I'll just say we both got food poisoning from the restauraunt we ate at last night?" He half asked, waiting for Zoe's approval that it was a good cover up.  
"Yeah that's good! I wouldn't even have thought of that" She whispered as he answered the phone and pressed the speaker option.  
"Max." Connie's stern tone rang out, the coldness of it almost visible in the air. "Mrs Beauchamp... What's up? He replied casually. "I just thought it was a bit... Odd, that you and Zoe both happen to be too ill to show up at work, on the same day?" She said, her tone turning into an accusatory one.  
"Yeah, Doctor says it's something we ate, food poisoning. I think it was from a restauraunt couple of nights ago." Max replied, still sounding cool and unflustered.  
"Oh" their boss replied, clearly believing their story. "I hope you both get better soon, do I need to arrange cover or will you both be back in tomorrow?" She asked, getting straight to the point. Max rolled his eyes and Zoe tried to stifle a laugh.  
"We'll phone in the morning to let you know" He replied, as Zoe, getting bored of the conversation and wanting Max to herself again, moved towards him and started leaving a trail of kisses along his collarbone and neck.  
"Yeah well make sure you do and..." She started, but was interrupted by Max, whom was trying his hardest not to laugh.  
"Bye now!" He trilled, and ended the phone call, placing his phone hastily on the coffee table as Zoe's lips met his and things began to get very heated.

The next morning, Zoe was getting dressed when she sighed frustratedly. "Max, I'm tired of covering up. If we're going to tell Mrs Beauchamp today, we might as well tell everyone else too. I've got some amazing bodycon maternity dresses in here, I'm sick of baggy shirts and skirts." She complained, turning round to see what her partner's reaction was going to be.  
"If I get to see you in tight dresses all day again" He began "I'm all up for it". He walked over towards her and wrapped his arms round her waist, and kissed her passionately to show how on-board he was.

They were standing in the staff room an hour later after having just arrived for work.  
"I can't believe it! I could see them all staring trying to work out whether I was pregnant or not, and not onw of them had the balls to come up and ask me! I mean, I know it's not dead obvious but I'm clearly not just fat!" Zoe ranted, while putting her stuff into her locker frustratedly. Max grinned, he loved it when she was angry. "You can stop grinning Max, it's not funny" She huffed, like a teenager who'd been told she couldn't go out.  
"Come on Dr Moody, we need to tell the Mighty One our news" He said, placing an arm on her stomach, which looked more prominent because of her dress, and kissing the side of her neck.  
"Okay, lets go." She replied, sliding her hand into his and taking a deep breath.  
"You know, I'd still love you even if you were fat" Max grinned bracing himself for the violence he'd just signed himself up for.  
"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't still hit you!" She retorted, whacking him on the arm with a patient file, then kissing the same place to show she was only joking. "You ready?" Max asked, as they reached Connie's office door.  
"As I'll ever be" She replied, placing a hand on her stomach and squeezing his hand at the same time.


	7. Chapter 7

In a really writing-y mood right now, I'm off on study leave so I have time to write during the day, so here's another update! Sorry its so short but I felt the chapter was just dragging on with no real purpose/storyline. Please keep reading and reviewing, it means a lot!

S&amp;MJ x

Chapter 6: "Flowers? You shouldn't have."

Max knocked three times on the door, and the couple were met by Connie's voice. "Come in!" She trilled, still managing to sound intimidating. They stepped into the clinical lead's office and Zoe ran the hand that wasn't clutching Max's through her dark hair.  
"Connie, could we have a word?" Zoe started, a hint of anxiety apparent in her voice.  
"What is it?" Their boss replied, eyeing them both suspiciously. Max pulled her Zoe in closer, so her back was almost touching his chest, and placed his hand on the small of her back to show his support.  
"Well, I'll get straight to the point... I'm pregnant" Zoe stated bluntly, studying Mrs Beauchamp's face, trying to read her expression. "Oh... Congratulations to you both - I take it the baby's his?" she quipped, with little emotion in her voice, raising her eyebrows. Zoe ignored her comment and continued.  
"I'm 15 weeks gone, so I've still got a while yet, but we felt it was appropriate to let you know." She said in a professional tone, looking at Max for support.  
"If that's all then you can get back to work" Connie said abruptly, not taking her eyes off the admin. she had been doing throughout the conversation.  
"Oh okay, we'll talk dates later then" Zoe finished, as her and Max left the office.  
"Well that was..." Max began, struggling to some up the previous conversation whilst they walked to reception.  
"Awkward?" Zoe finished for him, smiling up at her boyfriend.  
"You could say that Dr Hanna" He said swinging her round to face him, placing a kiss on her nose.  
"Oi, get a room you two!" Noel called from the reception desk, and they turned round to face most of the staff staring at them. "Go on then!" Robyn hissed, nudging Lofty, just loud enough for Zoe and Max to hear.  
"Max, Zoe... it's just... well... people were wondering..." Lofty began unconfidently, trailing off as he looked around at his colleagues for support, as Max wrapped his arms round Zoe's waist.  
"Zoe" Louise began "Are you expecting?" She asked, rolling her eyes as Lofty blushed.  
"As a matter of fact, we are" She said grinning up at Max. Robyn was the first to react. "I'm going to be an aunty, oh my god!" She shrieked, and hugged them both. After many outbursts of "Congratulations" and hugs and handshakes, the group broke up and moved along to get on with their jobs. "What did I say?" Honey practically sang across to Noel, Big Mac and Louise, who were the only ones left. Noel held his hands up and grinned.  
"You must really have the gift" He laughed, as Honey trotted away.

"Ugh Max, I feel hugeee" Zoe moaned as she was sat in his cupboard after the shift, looking down at her swollen stomach while Max got changed out of his work clothes.  
"You're not huge, you're pregnant!" He grinned, turning round and crouching down in front of her placing his hands on her knees.  
"You're beautiful Zo" He continued, looking longingly into her eyes and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Which is whyyyy..." He began, turning round to produce a bunch of flowers from below his desk "I bought you these" He grinned at her.  
"Flowers? You shouldn't have. Did you steal them from a dead patient?" She joked, although the look in her eyes told Max she was secretly flattered.  
"No, only the best for my favourite girlfriend" He bantered back, laughing at her expression.  
"Favourite girlfriend!? Do you have a host of other pregnant girlfriends I don't know about?" She asked, playing along.  
"Yeah there's Lucy, Zara, Angela and what's the other one... oh yeah, Emily!" He grinned, taking her hand. "You ready to go?" He asked, helping her up from the chair.  
"Alright Max, I'm not completely immobile yet!" She said softly, putting on her jacket.  
"I just can't keep my hands off you!" He grinned, grabbing his jacket and placing a protective arm round her waist. "I love you Zo" He said, pulling her in close.  
"I love you too Max" She smiled, against his mouth as they shared a long kiss.


End file.
